Saeety device eor oil heaters and lamps



I. L. MAIcDOWALL AND W. K. BASSFORD. SAFETY DEVICE FOR oIL HEATERS AND LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1 919.

Patented June 15, 1920.

2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

l I 11111 7111....m

l l III/77 l/V VEN TOHS J. L. MACDOWALL AND W. K. BASSFORD. SAFETYDEWCE FOR olL HEATERS AND LAMPS.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG9, 1919. l

Patented J une 15, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l Fz'g. 4.

UNITED STATES;

rasant* orificu- JOHN LAZIER MACDOWALL, OF PERTH AMBOY, AND WILLIAM KIPP BASSFORD, 0F

METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR OIL HEATERS ND- LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 157 1920.

Application filed August 9, 1919. Serial No. 316,407.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that wefJoHN DowALL and WILLIAM K. BAssuoRD2 both citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Perth Amboy and Metuchen in the county of Middlesex and State oV New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Oil Heaters and Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to safety devices for oil heaters and lamps and more particularly to a device of this character which will immediately extinguish the flame of the heater or lamp in case the same is tipped over or dropped, s as to prevent the oil reservoir from Vcatching fire or exploding.

The objects of the invention are to provide a safety device of the character described which will automatically form a substantially air tight chamber about the flame of an oil heater or lamp so as to immediately extinguish the flame when the heater or lamp is accidentally tipped over or dropped to provide a device which will also automatically extinguish the flame when the heat produced in the heater or lamp reaches a predetermined degree; to probyvide a device of this character which can be easily and quickly applied to any conventional type of oil heater or lamp burner without modification or alteration of the heater or lamp; to obtain a device which is simple and inexpensive in construction and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, inv which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout theseveral Views, 1

Figure l is a vertical sectional'. view through the lower portion of a conventional oil heater, showing one embodiment of the A invention applied thereto; f A

Fic'. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the Fig. 3 is a detail stop ring; Y n .t

Fig. 4; is a vertical sectional view through I a conventional oil lamp burner, showing another embodiment of the invention `applied thereto L. Mfic- Fig. 5 is a similar view taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view with the air deflecting cap removed; v Fig 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectlonal view, showing the invention in an extinguishing position over the wick, and

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the flame extinguisher shown in Figs. 4: toV S inclusive. i

Specifically describing the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the reference character A designates the base of a conventional type of oil heater, said base removably receiving and supporting the oil reservoir B.. Avertically disposed annular wick tubeC is carried by the oil reservoir VB and receives an annular wick D which projects downwardly intov the reservoir B into the oil, conventional wick adjusting means being indicated at E. A hollow air and flame spreading member F is fittedy loosely within the center of the annular wick tube so as to` allow air to pass upwardly into the burner to produce proper combustion, said member F being provided witha flame spread-- ing flange G which surrounds the member F and lies over the top lof the wick D,

to. slide longitudinally of the wick tube.l

The top ofthe extinguishing ring 1 is nor. mally just below the top edge vofthe wick tube'so as not to interfere with the flame,

and is normally held in thisV position by a pair of diametrically disposed weights 2 which lie loosely upon diametrically extend-v ing and longitudinally` disposed arms or shelves 3 which are connected integrally or in any other suitable manner to the extinguishing ring 1. The. weights are identicalA m'size, so as balance on the ring 1, and

voir B. It will thus be obvious that if the',

weights 2 are removed or knocked from the shelves 3 as by tipping overthe oil heater or dropping it, thelspring l will immediately force the extinguishing ring upwardly. The

upward movement of the ring 1 is stopped by a cap ring 5 which is secured to and surrounds the member F of the burner above the flame spreading flange I, the said cap ring 5v being formed in two semicircu'lar sections 5 having upturned ends 6 which are` connected' by bolts 7 so that the cap ring can be quickly and easily applied to the member E. The width of the' extinguishing ring 1 is such that when it engages the cap ring 5 the extinguishing ring bridges and covers the space between the top of the wick tube C and the' cap ring 5, the stop ring 5A serving as a cap for the top of the extinguishing ring. tially air tight chamber 3 is formed above the wick between the' extinguishing ring 1 and the member E so that .there is insuflicient air for combustion, and the extinguishing ring l will be Vpositively held against the cap ring 5 by the spring 4 so as to maintain the closed Vchamber until all flame is extinguished. guished, and if the heater has been tipped over or droppedthere is no danger of the oil in thereservoir catching fire or exploding. To prevent the weights 2 from being displaced from the shelves 3 by minor vibrations the shelves are preferably slightly dished or recessed at 3a to form side flanges to prevent the weights from slipping ofi'.

The weights 2 are preferably formed of an alloy which will melt at a predetermined temperature, for instance 41000 F., so that if the heater becomes overheated the weights will melt and the spring 4 will cause the extinguishing ring to put out the flame as above described.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by Figs. l to 9, inclusive, the reference vcharacter L designates the screw base of a conventional oil lamp burner which is adapted to screw into the neck of a lamp M.

A wick tube N passes upwardly 'through the' base L into the combustion chamber formed by the top() and air deflecting cap P of theV burner, said wick tube holding a wick Q which is adjustable by conventional means R. The air deflecting cap is provided with the usual Vslot S in the top thereof to allow the llame to pass out.

In this embodiment of the invention the extinguishing ring 9 is rectangular in shape.

Y and loosely surrounds the wick tube N the It will thus be seen that a substan-V The fiame is thus quickly extinring 9 being held in its normalp'osition just below the top edge of the wick tube, as shown in Fig. 5, by means of the weights l0 which lie loosely upon arms or shelves 11 extending longitudinally froin opposite ends of the extinguishing ring 9 through the slot S in the air deflecting cap P. The weights 10 hold the extinguishing ring down againstthe action of a light coil spring 12 which surroundsthe air deflecting cap P and en-V gages the underside of the arms 11. A llame extinguishing cap 13 is pivotall-'y secured in any suitable manner, as at l, to one side of the extinguishing ring 9 and' is adapted -to extend over and close the top of the extinguishing ring 9 to put out the flame of the` This cap 13 is influenced by a burner. spring 15 which tends to swing the cap over the top of the extinguishing ring 9, but

when the extinguishing ring is in an inoperative position, as shown by Fig. 5, the outer side edge ofthe cap 13 engages the side wall of the wick tube N so as to be held away from the top ofthe* extinguishing ring 9. Then the weights 10 are displaced from the arms 11 the spring 12 yforces the extinguishing ring upwardly, and as the top thereof passes the top of the wick tube, the spring 15 willv force the cap 13 over the top of the extinguishing ring to form a substantially air tight chamber about the wick Q, as shown by Fig. 8, so as to prevent combustion and extinguish the flame.v YUpward movement of the extinguishing. ring will be limitediby the top of the air deflecting cap I). 'As described in connection' with the invention as illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the weights 10 are preferably formed of an alloy whichmelts at a predetermined temperature, so as to allow the spring 12to cause the extinguishing ring to put out the flame iftlie lamp bei comes overheated. y

' It will be seen that'the invention is adapted to be applied to any conventional type of4 oil heater or lamp without any modification or change in the construction'of the' heater or lamp, and the device can thus beapplied to and sold with the heater lor lamp, or attached to an old one in use. Y

It will/also be obvious that various' modilications `and changes, can be made V,in the construction of our device without depart-l ing from the spirit or scope of theV invention, and we do not wish to bev understood as limiting ourselves exceptfas required by the following claimsA when construedin the light of theprior art.` T

4Having thus" described the invention, what we claim `is: f

f 1. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a wick tube Vand a flame spreader above the same, of an exextinguishing ring being vertically movable on said wick tube, means arranged at diametrically opposite points for holding said 1,extinguishing ring in normal position, said for actuating said extinguishing ring into engagement with said cap ring when the said holding means is released.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wick tube and a flame spreader above the same, of an extinguishing ring surrounding the wick tube and normally below the flame thereof, said extinguishing ring being vertically movable on said wick tube, means arranged at diametrically opposite points for holding said extinguishing ring in normal position, said holding means being released to allow the extinguishing ring to rise on said tube when the burner is abnormally jarred or tipped over, a cap ring detachably secured to the flame spreader above therflam'e, and means for actuating said extinguishing ring into engagement with said cap ring when the said holding means is released. Y

3. In a device of the character described. the combination with a wick tube and a flame spreader above the same, of an extinguishing ring adapted to surround tlvA wick tube, a cap ring adapted to be detachably secured to the flame spreader above the flame, said cap ring comprising complemental detachably connected arcuatesec-v tions to surround the flame spreader, and means for actuating said extinguishing ring into engagement with said cap ring to form an air tight chamber around the flame when the burner is abnormally j arred, tipped over, or becomes over heated.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a burner tube, of an extinguishing member, a fusible weight mounted in said extinguishing member to hold the said member in normal inoperative position, said weight being fused and melted when the burner reaches a predetermined temperature, and means for actuating said extinguishing member to extinguish the flame when said weight is melted from the ring.

n l5. In a device of the character described` the combination with a burner tube, of an extinguishing ring surrounding the burner tube and normally below the flame thereof,

said extinguishing ring being vertically movable on said burner tube, a fusible weight mounted on said extinguishing ring to hold the said ring in normal inoperative position, said weight being fused and melted when the burner reaches a rpredetermined temperature, and means for actuating said extinguishing ring to extinguish the flame when said weight is melted from the ring.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a burner tube, of an extinguishing ring surrounding the burner tube and normally below the flame thereof, said extinguishing ring being vertically movable on said burner tube, a pair of balanced fusible weights mounted at diametrically opposite points on said extinguishing ring to hold the said ring in normal inoperative position, said weights being released from said extinguishing ring when the burner is abnormally jarred, tipped over or reaches a predetermined temperature, and means for actuating said extinguishing, ring to extinguish the flame when said weights are released or melted from the extinguish-` in ring.

In a device of the character described, thel combination with a burner tube, of an extinguishing ring surrounding the burner tube and normally below the flame thereof,

lsaid extinguishing ring being vertically movable on said burner tube, said ring being provided with oppositely extending horizontal weight-receiving arms, a fusible weight loosely mounted upon each of said arms to hold the said extinguishing ring in normal inoperative position, said weights being displaced or melted from said arms when the burner is abnormally jarred, tipped over or reaches a predetermined temperature, and means for actuating said extinguishing ring to extinguish ythe flame when the said weights are released or melted from the extinguishing ring.

JOHN LAZIER MACDOWALL.

WILLIAM KIPP BASSFORD. 

